1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to means for filling and capping runs of containers having at least two different lateral widths, including a processing system that has container-engaging heads for filling and capping the containers while in a two dimensional regular array, and at least semiautomatic means that varies the spacing of the heads in two dimensions, for job changing from one container width to another. By repositioning the heads of successive machines along the processing line into registry with the two dimensional array and processing the array as a unit, line throughput is improved. The containers can be processed in this manner while remaining in a box or similar receptacle that maintains the position of the containers in a regular array. The successive machines can be changed over to die new head spacing as the leading edge of the new container size arrives.
2. Prior Art
Filling machines for containers such as beverage bottles and the like conventionally pass the containers in a single file along one or more conveying paths. The containers stand upright for filling via nozzles that direct fluid or other material contents downwardly into the containers. Filling with a fluid, whether to add ballast, to insert washing fluid or to fill containers with their final contents, takes a certain amount of time. Containers can be filled using heads that move in registry with continuously moving containers, or the containers can be stopped in registry with stationary-heads, and after a filling step indexed by one or more container positions, whereupon the filling step is repeated.
A rotary or carousel filling device for continuously moving containers is disclosed, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 3,270,783--Hughes. Indexing devices with plural heads, that index by several containers at once, are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,020,939--Donofrio; 3,651,836--Johnson; and 4,073,322--Bennett. In U.S. Pat. No. 5,168,905--Phallen, the containers are indexed by a single container position, but each head adds only a fraction of the material needed to fill the containers fully.
It is also possible to fill a two dimensional array of containers as a unit, as disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,159,960--Pringle or 4,055,202--Greene, or to fill one line of containers at a time, when held in a two dimensional array, as in U.S. Pat. No. 4,270,584--van Lieshout. The containers are positioned in registry with dispensing nozzles or "heads" mounted in a two dimensional array, coupled via valves to a controller that dispenses the fluid for a predetermined time or volume when the containers are in position.
Whether the dispensing heads, nozzles, capping devices or the like are in a circle, in a line or in a two dimensional array, tile heads must align in registry with the openings of their respective containers. The containers typically are conveyed while resting laterally against one another, and the container openings are centered and thereby regularly spaced. A substantial problem is encountered if a container processing line is to handle containers of different lateral widths, because the center-to-center spacing of the filling, capping and similar head devices must be reset.
In a serial processing line having one or more rows of containers proceeding along a path, the sidewalls or rails of a conveyor, slide track or similar arrangement guide the containers along the conveyor and prevent the containers from being displaced laterally of the direction of advance along the container stream. The sidewalls, rails or the like keep the centerlines of the containers along the centerline of the row of nozzles. It is known to provide rails to engage the containers at a flange at the neck of the container. Typically, however, the sidewalls of the containers rest along the conveyor sidewalls, guide rails or the like. During job changes from one width of container to another, the conveyor sidewalls or rails on both sides are adjusted laterally inwardly or outwardly of the conveyor centerline.
Alternatively, the filling or capping devices can have container-carrying pocket structures, the pockets being of different sizes for different container sizes, but in each case arranging the containers at a fixed spacing to align the containers to nozzles, cappers or the like that are not adjustable in spacing. In that case, the pocket structures must be changed for a job change. Additionally, there is an inherent waste of space because the nozzles or cappers must then be spaced to accommodate, the largest size of container that the line will ever run.
A filling machine or the like could also have heads arranged for the smallest containers arranged in the most densely packed possible array. Only use those nozzles which happen to align with the openings of larger containers could be used (i.e., opened and closed via individually controlled valves). For example, the nozzles can be biased closed and caused to discharge due to contact a container. Such an arrangement, although possible with careful planning, would not be efficient. For example for center-opening regular containers, the different possible sizes of the containers would need to be odd multiples of the smallest container diameter (e.g., one, three or five units of diameter), such that the centers of an array of smaller containers would align with the centers of a larger container array. This solution to the problem is cumbersome, as well as expensive because many of the nozzles routinely would go unused (e.g., eight of nine unused when processing a three diameter unit container.
Inasmuch as job changing a container line can involve quite a lot of work, it is most typical for a bottling plant or the like to run a single size of container exclusively, or perhaps to run a single size for a very long time before making a job change, and thereby build up a sufficient inventory to meet the demand between relatively infrequent job changes. It is also typical for container sizes to be standardized so that the same equipment can handle different products or brands.
It is desirable for products such as beverages or the like, that the containers for different products be distinct as to shape, color, markings and the like. It would also be desirable to permit different container sizes, but job changing and equipment compatibility constraints are such that all containers for a given product type are generally very similar in size. For example, soft drink, beer and liquor containers are typically of the same standardized lateral dimensions and have necks of a standard size, axially centered on the container and placed at a standard Might. It would be advantageous to provide convenient means for a container processing line to run containers of different sizes; such as different lateral widths and/or different eights, particularly for specialty products.
It is known to vary the center-to-center spacing of nozzles of a filling machine to permit a change between container sizes. For example, in U.S. Pat. No. 5,168,905--Phallen, fill nozzles are mounted along a rail parallel to the path of containers along a bottling line, each of the nozzles being movable along the rail to a selected position at which it can be fixed using a clamp such as a set screw arrangement. Such a mounting requires the individual placement and fixing of each of the nozzles. It may be possible to speed the process by inserting a length reference tool applicable to the respective container size between the nozzles to set their spacing. Nevertheless, each of the nozzles must be separately fixed in place, and an endmost or starting nozzle in the line must be positioned at a position corresponding to the position of one of the containers along the line, e.g., a container held stationary via a stop.
According to U.S. Pat. No. 662,087--Nichols et al., the center-to-center spacing of a series of nozzles in a line is adjustable commonly. The nozzles are attached at the junctions of a "lazy tongs" mounting having pivotally connected structural members that can incline to shorten the spacing or extend to lengthen the spacing, within limits defined by the width of the connected structural members. An endmost one of the members is attached to a manual positioning apparatus such as a slide bar having spaced holes for receiving a locking pin that fixes the lazy tongs at one of a number of predetermined reference positions corresponding to container widths.
Adjustable positioning apparatus for nozzles and the like can be provided in a two dimensional array, for gang filling as in copending application Ser. No. 07/963,596, filed Oct. 20, 1992, which is hereby incorporated. In that application, and in U.S. Pat. No. 5,159,960, which is also incorporated, containers are filled while held in an X-Y array, each container in the array being held at a predetermined position in a regular array, and filled simultaneously. In the '596 application, the containers are engaged by a movable member that urges regularly shaped containers laterally inward of the array, causing them to assume defined positions. It can speed the filling of containers if an entire X-Y array of containers is filled simultaneously, as opposed to filling them serially.
However, there are problems in adapting gang filling procedures to high speed or continuous operation, particularly if job changes are provided for, because of problems in ensuring that the containers form a full array with each container in registry with the nozzles of the filler. In the '960 patent, the containers are filled with a limited amount of water ballast immediately after being depalletized, and normally remain substantially in position in the array between depalletizing and ballast injection. And in any event, if some of the ballast misses a container or if a position in the array is not occupied, there is little waste or damage. In the '596 application, the containers are positively-arrayed by the sweep device, and movable valves for dispensing contents into the container are only opened if a container engages a nozzle.
Gang falling according to the prior art generally tends to be a batch operation rather than a continuously progressing operation, even where a plurality of containers are filled at once during particular process steps. Examples of gang filling an array of containers are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,055,202--Greene; 4,270,584--van Lieshout; and 4,411,295--Nutter. In each case a regular X-Y array of containers is provided that corresponds at least along a line to an array of nozzles or fill heads. In Greene the containers are bottles; in van Lieshout they are open top cups for beer; and in Nutter the containers are 55 gallon drums having off-center fill holes coupleable to fill head via flexible hoses.
In order to maintain array positions, Greene holds the bottles in a box-like receptacle in which the bottles fit closely so as to occupy regular positions, provided the receptacle box is full. If the receptacle box is not full, the container positions are uncertain because the abutment of the containers is relied upon to position them at regular positions in an array. A similar situation could be obtained by defining smaller receptacles for the containers, e.g., by webbing forming crossing walls between outer walls, in a manner similar to the container pockets of a linear conveyor. For loading containers into a two dimensional array of pockets, the containers must be moved axially over the walls or webbing defining the pockets, potentially by a manual operation. In van Lieshout, beer cups are placed manually into a box nearby one another but spaced somewhat. The open tops of the cups provide a wide enough target for the nozzles that spacing is not critical, provided the cups are substantially regularly spaced, i.e., by a manual operation. In van Lieshout, one row is filled at a time. In Nutter, not only must the 55 gallon drums be in correct position, but additionally their fill openings must be turned to toward one another in groups of four, for aligning with a fill head having four discharge fittings. Manual attention to positioning is required.
A gang filling machine is needed that more efficiently solves the problems of providing a regular array of containers corresponding to a regular array of nozzles, and that can be quickly, conveniently and efficiently set up to run containers of varying sizes. Furthermore, it would be most advantageous to apply gang processing concepts to additional container processing steps associated with a container filling plant, such as cleaning, capping and the like. It would be even more advantageous if at least some of the steps associated with transporting the containers through the processing steps could accomplished by "gang" transport, especially by processing containers through steps that do not require that the containers be removed from the box or crate in which the containers will ultimately be shipped.